FRESNO, Calif. – On the very first day of the 2021 season, Academy of Art baseball erupted for a total of 21 runs on 33 hits while also receiving sterling starting pitching performances to sweep a Pacific West Conference doubleheader with a 12-0 shutout in game one before taking game two with a final of 9-3. 

To go with their success at the plate, the Urban Knights (2-0, 2-0 PacWest) tossed 13 scoreless innings to begin the season, getting the nine-inning shutout in game one and not allowing the Sunbirds (0-2, 0-2 PacWest) on the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth in game two. Starting pitching was excellent for ART U, as graduate student right-hander Matthew Sanchez went eight strong while allowing just three hits with four strikeouts, while senior right-hander Jayson Summers followed that up by allowing three earned runs in 5.2 innings pitched with four strikeouts. There was a pair of home runs among the 33 hits on the scoreboard, both solo shots from graduate student outfielder Andrew Shebloski and junior outfielder Ty Conrad. 

GAME ONE – ART U 12, FPU 0
In the third frame is when ART U first started the scoring, as Conrad drove home the first runs of the year with a two-run triple that bounced off the base of the right field wall to score Shebloski and redshirt junior shortstop Dominic Ruggiero, both of whom reached via a single. The following batter would subsequently drive Conrad around to score, as junior outfielder Noah Daubin lined a base hit into right field for the RBI. 

Insurance was added in the following frame as the Urban Knights produced three consecutive singles to drive in a run. It started with a bunt single from sophomore outfielder Hayato Niki, was followed by a hard liner off the pitcher's glove by Shebloski, and capped off by Ruggiero when he slapped one through the right side. 

After taking the fifth off, ART U resumed the scoring in the sixth with another three-run frame, the first coming off a string of three consecutive errors to begin the inning. A pair of outs gave the Sunbirds hope of getting out of the inning, but that was dashed by sophomore shortstop Adam Inouye when he drove home both remaining runners on base with a two-out, two-run base knock. 

Junior first baseman Vincent Lontz joined the RBI party with a double down the left field line, scoring Conrad who had reached base when he was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh inning. In his fifth at-bat of the night was when Shebloski would leave the yard, putting one over the left-center field wall in the eighth. The final three runs came in the top of the ninth, with the ninth run of the ballgame plated after three consecutive singles resulted in an RBI from graduate student catcher Ryan Gamboa. The final two came off the bat of Niki, as he notched the first two RBI of his ART U career on a single down the left field line. 

Sanchez would allow just three hits in the game over 8.0 innings pitched, striking out four in the process. Freshman left-hander Joel Mitchell would come on to finish the ninth in a non-save situation, shutting the door on any thought of a comeback by not allowing a hit. 

Every Urban Knight in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit, run and RBI, while four players tallied three-hit games. It would lead to 19 total hits in the game, the second most hits in a single game in ART U history. Shebloski led the way, going 3-for-6 with a homer and two runs. 

GAME TWO – ART U 9, FPU 3
Picking up where they left off in game one, Conrad put the Knights on the board just three pitches into his first at bat in the top of the first, driving a pitch to straightaway left field for a big fly. It was followed up with a run in the second frame, as a pair of two-out hits would put the pressure on the Sunbirds and lead to an error, plating a run for the Knights. 

ART U would take the third inning off from scoring, but would return with three runs in the top of the fourth as they continued to build on their lead. Graduate student second baseman Justin Summers hit a ground rule double to start the frame and would eventually come around to score on an RBI groundout, while a throwing error would force in another two runs. 

The final inning is where ART U would plate more than one run would come in the fifth, the first scoring on a sacrifice fly from Daubin, and Lontz driving home the other with a single through the right side. This time the Sunbirds would respond with two runs of their own, both coming on a two-out double down the right field line and cut the deficit back to only five. After trading runs in the sixth inning, the Knights would get the last laugh with a run in the top of the seventh on a Niki single into left field.

Jayson Summers would earn the win, while junior right-hander Collin Carriger appeared in relief and didn't allow a single hit while striking out three in 1.1 innings pitched. It wa a perfect game two at the plate for Inouye, going 4-for-4 with three runs. Three other Urban Knights recorded multi-hit games, including a 2-for-3 day with a pair of RBI from Justin Summers.

ART U will look to continue its winning streak when they hit the field on Monday from College of Alameda beginning at 2 p.m.